Metrics and data

FOOTNOTES FOR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS PERFORMANCE DATA:

1. Based on Scope 1 and 2 emissions of ExxonMobil operated assets through 2023 (versus 2016). ExxonMobil’s reported emissions, reductions, and avoidance performance data are based on a combination of measured and estimated emissions data using reasonable efforts and collection methods. Calculations are based on industry standards and best practices, including guidance from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and Ipieca. There is uncertainty associated with the emissions, reductions, and avoidance performance data due to variation in the processes and operations, the availability of sufficient data, quality of those data, and methodology used for measurement and estimation. Performance data may include rounding. Changes to the performance data may be reported as part of the company’s annual publications as new or updated data and/or emission methodologies become available. We are working to continuously improve our performance and methods to detect, measure and address greenhouse gas emissions. ExxonMobil works with industry, including API and Ipieca, to improve emission factors and methodologies, including measurements, and estimates. Scope 1 and 2 emissions and intensity totals are calculated using market based method for Scope 2. 
2. IPCC, 2021: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 2391 pp. doi:10.1017/9781009157896.
3. Scope 1 (direct emissions) include emissions from exported power and heat.
4. Includes indirect emissions from imported electricity, heat, steam, and cooling.
5. Includes indirect emissions from imported electricity, heat, steam, and cooling; incorporates the purchase of energy attribute certificates (renewable energy certificates, guarantees of origin).
6. The net GHG metric includes Scope 1 GHG emissions and Scope 2 GHG emissions (market-based), excluding emissions from exported power and heat.
7. Mass of CO₂ that was captured for applications such as geologic sequestration, acid gas injection, enhanced oil and gas recovery, including capturing CO₂ for third parties or customers.
8. ExxonMobil 2030 GHG emission-reduction plans are intensity-based and for Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions from operated assets compared to 2016 levels. These plans include actions that are also expected to achieve absolute reduction in corporate-wide greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 20%, compared to 2016 levels. See https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/news/news-releases/2021/1201_exxonmobil-announces-plans-to-2027-doubling-earnings-and-cash-flow-potential-reducing-emissions.
   

Portfolio life-cycle emissions intensity

We are pursuing third-party carbon emissions reductions of more than 50 million metric tons per year by 2030

We see the opportunity to help other essential industries and customers achieve their goals to lower emissions. Estimates of greenhouse gas emissions are on a life-cycle basis and include avoided and abated emissions from hydrogen, lower-emission fuels, and carbon capture and storage.

For example, customers could avoid up to 25 million metric tons per year of their greenhouse gas emissions if all of ExxonMobil’s projected 2030 supply to the market of lower-emission fuels displaces conventional fuel refined from crude oil. This calculation is an ExxonMobil analysis illustrating the general benefits of lower-emission fuels based on estimated fuel carbon intensity from various third-party sources (such as Argonne National Labs’ GREET model) as compared against its conventional fuel alternate on a life-cycle basis. The calculation is an estimate that represents a range of potential outcomes based on certain assumptions. Estimates are based on the potential implementation of projects or opportunities that are at various stages of maturity.

Individual projects or opportunities may advance to a final investment decision by the company based on a number of factors, including availability of supportive policy and permitting, technology and infrastructure for cost-effective abatement, and alignment with our partners and other stakeholders. Actual avoided and abated emissions may differ.

For more information on the potential impact of our investments see our Corporate Plan Update.

Using an LCA approach and applying it to ExxonMobil’s business plans through 2030, we expect an 11% reduction in full life-cycle emissions intensity, the result of which is expected to be an estimated 10% reduction in full life-cycle absolute emissions. These are in comparison to 2016 levels.*

*A life-cycle approach was used to develop our proprietary portfolio life-cycle intensity model, which estimates elements of Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions for our Upstream, Product Solutions, and Low Carbon Solutions businesses. The estimated figures are based on our projected 2023 corporate plan volumes for 2030. The portfolio life-cycle emissions intensity calculation is based upon the emissions associated with the mass of products delivered to the market.

Scope 3 emissions

The table below provides Scope 3 estimates associated with the use of our natural gas and crude production in alignment with Category 11 of Ipieca’s methodology, which contemplates accounting for products at the point of extraction, processing, or sales. Scope 3 estimates represent three approaches for accounting and are not meant to be aggregated, as this would lead to duplicative accounting.

For example, for completeness, the Scope 3 estimates associated with the combustion of the crude processed, produced, or sold from our refineries are provided; however, to avoid duplicative accounting, these Scope 3 estimates are not included in our Scope 3 Category 11 total, since the associated Scope 3 emissions would have been reported by the producer of those crudes.

Applied CO₂ emission factors were obtained from EPA or derived from API calculations; where applicable, emission factors for specific fuel products were applied. Non-fuels products are not combusted by the end user and therefore are not included in these Scope 3 estimates. Ipieca’s Scope 3 methodology includes 15 categories of activities along each product’s value chain. Due to lack of third-party data, Scope 3 emissions for categories other than Category 11 could not be estimated. Scope 3 guidelines are based on the GHG Protocol.

We do not set Scope 3 targets. As we discuss in the Life Cycle Approach module, using the GHG Protocol to understand how societal activities drive emissions is appropriate and useful; using it to measure and manage company or sector-wide emissions is flawed and counterproductive. It also ignores growing energy demand, enabling no comparison of alternative ways to meet that demand.

To meet a net-zero goal, it is essential that companies fully understand their net emissions and have a means of comparing themselves against others in their industry. Most importantly, the approach needs to equip and incentivize companies to make investments that will reduce their emissions – not simply encourage companies to back away from meeting society’s needs and pass portions of their carbon footprint to someone else.

FOOTNOTES FOR SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE DATA:

1. Performance data is based on a combination of measured and estimated data using reasonable efforts and collection methods. Any calculations are based on industry standards and best practices, including guidance from the API and Ipieca as applicable. There is uncertainty associated with the performance data due to variation in the processes and operations, the availability of sufficient data, quality of those data and methodology used for measurement and estimation. Performance data may include rounding. This table reflects performance data as of April 10, 2024 for Safety. This table reflects performance data as of January 17, 2024 for “Spills to the environment” and “Total dollars spent on environmental penalties, fines and settlements, billions of dollars” and as of April 19, 2024 for the other Environment performance data. Changes to the performance data may be reported as part of the company’s annual publications as new or updated data and/or methodologies become available as appropriate. Environment and Safety is reported for ExxonMobil operated assets only. "Other spills (not from marine vessels) (non-hydrocarbon)" include chemical and water-based drilling fluid spills.
2. Some historical performance data were updated to reflect the best available information at the time of this report.
3. 2023 performance data for “Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emitted, millions of metric tons” reflects a change in methodology for estimating NOx emissions from certain combustion equipment based on manufacturer performance data.
4. Workforce includes employees and contractors. Accidents or incidents include both injuries and illnesses. From 2019 through 2023, all fatalities were injury-related.
5. Global workforce is defined as all active, regular executive, management, professional, technical (EMPT), and wage employees who work full-time or part-time for ExxonMobil and are covered by ExxonMobil’s benefit plans and programs. Employees at our company-operated retail stores are not included.
6. United States workforce is defined as all active, regular EMPT, and wage employees on the United States payroll who work full-time or part-time for ExxonMobil and are covered by ExxonMobil’s benefit plans and programs. Employees at our company-operated retail stores are not included. United States workforce is a broader definition than EEO-1 report scope, which excludes United States payroll employees on assignment outside the United States.
7. Professional employees and hires are defined as EMPT.
8. Total contributions include donations from Exxon Mobil Corporation, our divisions and affiliates, the ExxonMobil Foundation, as well as employee and retiree giving through ExxonMobil’s matching gift and volunteer programs.
9. Our spending encompassed an expanded set of diverse classifications that includes: minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, small business-owned, lesbian-, gay-, bisexual- and transgender-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses and businesses owned by peoples with disabilities.
10. ExxonMobil spending with United States certified, tier 1, diverse suppliers, millions of dollars was added as a new metric in 2019 and reported as of that year.
11. In countries where ExxonMobil has an upstream business presence.